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(No Model.) 2 She ets-Sheet 1. P. B. FELTON. SAFETY DEVICE FOR REVOLVERS.

Patented Mar. 5, 1895.

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-(No Model.) .2 Sheets-Sheet 2. P. B. FELTON. SAFETY DEVICE FORREVOLVBRS.

Patented Mar. 5, 1895.

- INVENTOR 92 24 1;?

A; ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK B. FELTON, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE COLTS PATENTFIRE ARMS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR REVOLVERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 535,097, dated March 5,1895.

Application filed March 27, 1 894- Serial 170, 505,297. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern; ter, is the pivot on which said crane may Beit known that I, FRANK B. FELTON, acitiswing laterally. The cranecarries the cylzen of the United States, residing at Hartford, inder bon a spindle, so that the cylinder may 55 in the county of Hartford andState of Conswing with the crane from the recess in the 5 necticut, haveinvented a new and useful Imframe, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4,for provement in Revolvers, of which the followcharging the cylinder orfor ejectingtheshells, ing is a specification. the ejector being of theusual construction.

My invention relates to an improvement in To secure the cylinder in itsnormal posi- 60 that class of revolvers in which the cylinder tion inthe frame, a sliding latch is provided,

I0 is journaled upon a crane arranged upon an which consists, as shownin Figs. 1, 5, 6 and aXis below the cylinder and parallel with the 7 ofan exterior slide d, on the left side of the axis of the cylinder, sothat the crane and the frame, and of a central stem dwhich is incylinder may be turned laterally outward line with the axis of thecylinder and integral 65 from the frame, for loading, or for the ejecwith the slide, and is attached to the latter by tion of shells.ashorthorizontalcross-bar e. Athnmb-piece The object of my invention isto provide on the slide serves to draw it rearward, while such aconnection between the cylinder and a spiral spring within the hollowcentral stem the lock or firing mechanism, that the crane 01, serves toforce the latch forward. 70 and cylinder cannot be turned laterally outThe frame is constructed with the usual re of their normal position inthe frame, while cess in its face in rear of the cylinder, for the thelock is cooked, that is in the firing posireception of the cylinderratchet, and when tion, and that should the lock be cocked,when forwardthe slide at laterally closes this recess, the crane and cylinder havebeen turned out while the stem d enters a central recess in 7.5 of theframe, these cannot be returned to their the cylinder-ratchet.

normal position until the lock has been un- The firing mechanismconsists of the hamcocked or brought to its position of rest. In merf,trigger g, rebound lever h, pawlj, main the accompanying drawings,forming a part spring and rebound spring. As far as dehereof, I haveillustrated a mechanism by scribed the parts and their operations arelike 80 which this object may be attained, in which those well known inthis class of arms and do drawings not require further description.

Figure 1, is an elevation of the revolver, To prevent the hammer frombeing cocked showing the cylinder in its normal position when theeylinder'is in the frame, unless the r and the look at rest. Fig. 2, isa vertical seclatch is fully closed and thus securely holding 85 tion ofthe same, with the cylinder and lock the cylinder, I place the lever 1'between the 5 as in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a latch cland the trigger g. The lever 71 is separt of the revolver, showing thefiring mechcured within the frame by a screw, on which anism cocked.Fig.4 is a front end view. Fig. it turns as on a pivot, its upper armextendoisatransverse sectionin rear of the cylinder; ing into a recess ein the cross bar between 90 and Fig. 6 is a horizontal section showingthe the central stem d and the slide d of the latch,

0 cylinder latch as seen from below. Fig. 7 is its lower arm extendingto the left side of the a perspective view of the cylinder latch; andtrigger g. On the trigger a lateral projection Fig. 8 illustrates amodification. g is provided in front of and below the lower Similarletters refer to similarpartsthrougharm of the lever 2'. When thecylinderlatch 5 out the several views. is drawn rearward, as shown indotted lines In the frame a is a recess to receive the in Fig. 1, itmoves rearward the upper arm of cylinder Z); in rear of which the firingmechthe lever i and the lower arm of the latter anism is arranged, andin front of which the moves forward until its end stands above thebarrel is attached in the usual manner. The lateral projection of thetrigger. In this posi- I03 forward part of the frame is divided, oneportion the lever 'L' positively prevents the trigtion forming the cranec and the spindle c of ger from being operated, and as the triggerwhich, located in a corresponding seat below interlocks with the hammerin the usual manthe cylinder, parallel with the axis of the lat ner itis impossible to cook the hammer until the trigger is released by thereturn of the latch to its forward or closed position, which removes theleverz'out of the path of thetrigger, Figs. 1 and 2., The lever 41 alsoprevents the latch from being moved rearward to release the cylinder,when the hammer has been cocked,for as the hammer is held in the cookedposition by the raised trigger, (see Fig. 3,) the projection g on thetrigger stands in front of the lower arm of the lever 1' and preventsits forward movement, thus securing the latch in the closed position,until after releasing the hammer when the trigger returns to its lowerposition. The hammer may be cooked when the cylinder has beeneutirelyswung out of the frame, Fig. 4. As for the-ejection of theshells the cylinder must swing out beyond the reach of the latch d, andthe latter is moved forward by its spring after the cylinder haspassedit; but before the cylinder can be returned to its normal positionin the frame, the firing mechanism must be returned to its rest, becausethe latch d being held in its forward position by the lever t' and theprojection on the trigger as long as the hammer remains cocked, asdescribed above as shown in Fig. 3, it cannot move out of the path ofthe cylinder until the hammer and the trigger are released.

I have so far represented the lever connected with the cylinder latchand operating on the trigger; but the free arm of the lever may beconstructed to operate on the hammer instead of on the trigger. Thismodification is shown in Fig. 8, where a lateral projection f' isprovided on the lower forward part of the hammer f, while the triggerhas no such projection. The lower arm of the lever 2' is so shaped thatits end is above and in rear of and clears the projection f when thefiring mechanism is at rest, and the latch closed, while the opening ofthe latch throws the lever into the path of the projection and thecooking of the hammer brings the projection in front of the lever. I,therefore, do not wish to be understood as limiting my invention to theprecise construction shown and described, it only being essential totheinvention that the cylinder latch is connected with a lever whichinterlocks with a movable part of the firing mechanism when the latch isopened.

What Iclaim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a revolver in which the cylinder is arranged to swing laterallyoutward and inward from and to its recess in the frame, the combinationof a holding device to confine the cylinderin its recess, adapted to beoperated at will to release the cylinder and a movable connectionbetween said holding device and the firing mechanism, operated by themovements of said holding device to lock and release the firingmechanism, substantially as set forth.

2. In a revolver the combination of a cylinder arranged to swinglaterally outward and inward from and to its recess in the frame, aholding device to confine the cylinder in its recess and adapted to bemoved at will to release it, a firing mechanism for said revolver and alever arranged between said holding device and said firing mechanism,one end of said lever engaging with said holding device and the otherwith a movable part of the firing mechanism, and said lever beingoperated by the movements of said holding device to lock and release thefiring mechanism, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a revolver in which the cylinder is arranged to swing laterallyoutward and inward from and to its recess in the frame, the combinationof a latch on the frame constructed to confine the cylinder in itsrecess, and adapted to be moved at will to release it, and a lever,connectedwith said latch and constructed and arranged to stand in thepath of a movable part of the firing mechanism so as to prevent theoperation of said firing mechanism when the said latch is in theposition to release the cylinder, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

4. In a revolverin which the cylinder is arranged to move laterallyoutward and inward from and to its recess in the frame, the combinationof a latch sliding longitudinally on the frame, so that in the forwardposition said latch confines the cylinder in the frame, and in therearward position it releases the cylinder, and a lever pivoted in theframe, one arm of said lever engaging with the latch the other armextending to the side of the trigger, and a projection on the triggerlocated in a plane with the lever so that the rearward movement of thelatch turns the end of said lever above and against said projection andprevents the operation of the trigger, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

5. In a revolver in which the cylinder is arranged to move laterallyoutward and inward from and to its recess in the frame, the combinationof a latch sliding longitudinally on the frame, said latch when forwardconfining the cylinder in the frame, and when rearward releasing it, anda lever pivoted in the frame, the upper arm of said lever extending intoa recess in the latch, the lower arm extending to the side of thetrigger, and a projection on the trigger in front of and below thelever, the front edge of said lower lever arm constructed parallel toand in rear of the path of said projection on the trigger, when thelatch is in the forward position, snbstantiallyas and for the purposeset forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 24th day of March, A. D.1894.

FRANK B. FELTON.

In presence of J AS. F. BRYANT, O. J EHBETS.

